This year, University Press Week begins on November 11, Veterans Day—the day we pay tribute to military veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. In honor of the occasion, the Association of University Presses is calling special attention to the five members that are affiliated with U.S. Armed Forces universities: Air University Press, Army University Press, Marine Corps University Press, Naval Institute Press, and West Point Press.
These five presses publish an array of books and journals on topics that include military history, national security, recent operations, international relations, geopolitics, and leadership. Their titles reach scholars, strategists, students, and the general public, and many of their publications are accessible to readers for free through open-access platforms. The authors, who include scholars, active-duty members of the military, and veterans, offer a breadth of civilian and military perspectives and expertise and are not required to be associated with the presses’ home institutions.
“Our global community of mission-based scholarly publishers is greatly enriched by the presence and participation of U.S. Armed Forces university presses,” says AUPresses executive director Peter Berkery. “Their professionalism, spirit of service, and commitment to scholarly excellence are to be commended.”
During University Press Week 2024, military presses will join with other university presses around the world to explore the ways that their publications tackle domestic and global challenges. “Military presses are essential to the intellectual growth and development of their parent organizations,” says Paul Hoffman, director of Air University Press. “Debates over policy, organization, and employment play out in the pages of our books and journals.”
Some of the illuminating works published by the university presses associated with U.S. Armed Forces universities are The Boundaries of War: Local and Global Perspectives in Military History edited by Lee L. Brice and Timothy M. Roberts (Marine Corps University Press), which provides new insights into military history; The West Point Companion to the Updated ICRC Commentary on the Third Geneva Convention by Sean Watts (West Point Press), which explores international and military-related law; Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness by Gregg F. Martin, USA, ret., (Naval Institute Press); and Women, Peace, and Security in Professional Military Education, vol. 2, edited by Lauren Mackenzie, PhD, and Colonel Dana Perkins, PhD (Marine Corps University Press), which highlights the next generation of strategic leaders. “We hope that readers are inspired by the information and insights offered by these and all university presses to step up to make a positive difference in their communities and the world,” Berkery says.
